Tianque Building—the power center of the entire Eastern Xia Kingdom and the largest administrative office area in the world.
Prime Minister's Office.
A middle-aged man with graying hair sat at his desk, immersed in the complexities of government affairs.
Li Zhiguo, the current Prime Minister, had a life story that could only be described as legendary. He entered Eastern Xia University at fourteen, earned his master's degree at sixteen, and completed his doctorate by nineteen. At twenty-three, he began his political career.
However, fate seemed to play a cruel joke on him. After entering politics, Li Zhiguo faced a series of setbacks, failing even to be elected as a district councilor. Many thought this well-known genius would fade into obscurity.
But at the age of forty, he made a stunning comeback, winning a seat in the National Assembly and becoming the first member of parliament not to enter through capitalist means.
By the time he was forty-five, he had risen to the position of Prime Minister.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Suddenly, a blue virtual screen appeared before him. Li Zhiguo set aside his paperwork and pressed the answer button, asking, "What's going on?"
[Prime Minister, urgent notification from His Majesty.]
"Put him through immediately."
Despite the paperwork still in front of him, the call from the emperor demanded his utmost respect. As the saying goes, "The emperor is iron, while the prime minister is flowing water."
Although the emperor held little real power, if the prime minister offended him, it could lead to serious consequences. If the parliament decided to remove him and he had also angered the emperor, he would surely be ousted.
Moreover, his ability to navigate the political landscape and rise to the presidency was largely due to the emperor's support.
Click.
"Hello."
"Prime Minister Li Zhiguo," a deep, authoritative voice came through the line. "I have an important matter to discuss with you, one that concerns the revival of Eastern Xia. I need to ensure that this remains between us for now, and I require a face-to-face meeting."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After receiving Li Zhiguo's confirmation, the call ended.
Though slightly bewildered, Li Zhiguo could sense the gravity of the situation from the emperor's tone. Even if the emperor were playing a trick on him, he had to go immediately.
In a constitutional monarchy, the emperor does not wield power. But that only applies to other countries; in Eastern Xia, it's a different story. Even if the emperor's authority is nominal, with the unparalleled influence of the Xia dynasty, if the emperor publicly declared that the prime minister was unfit, it was likely he would face impeachment the very next day.
He picked up the phone again and dialed another number.
"Prepare a car. I need to go to the palace."
"Understood, Prime Minister."
The Palace.
After passing through security, Li Zhiguo entered the grand hall and saw Xuan, dressed in a dragon robe. He bowed respectfully, saying, "I pay my respects, Your Majesty."
"Rise. No need for formalities." Xuan turned to the guards and instructed, "You all stay outside. No matter what happens, do not enter."
Xuan stepped down from the throne and approached Li Zhiguo, asking, "Prime Minister, do you believe in the existence of gods?"
"No," Li Zhiguo shook his head.
To him, gods were merely a form of spiritual solace. He placed his faith in his ancestors and, more importantly, in the Xia emperors.
"Do you think there are extraordinary powers in this world?"
Li Zhiguo pondered for a moment before nodding. "Indeed, there are some humans with special abilities, but they aren't as powerful or exaggerated as depicted in films."
"Have you awakened any special abilities, Your Majesty?"
Li Zhiguo was aware of some so-called superpowers, but they were quite weak compared to what movies portrayed. The most remarkable ability he had heard of was the power to generate electricity, but even that was limited to a minor shock.
"Yes," Xuan replied, surprised to find that there were indeed people who believed in such powers. Judging by Li Zhiguo's reaction, these so-called superhumans didn't seem particularly formidable; they merely possessed some unique abilities, much like the special individuals from his past life, such as the Ice Man and the Electric Man.
"So, Your Majesty, what is your ability?" Li Zhiguo's expression grew more animated, a hint of speculation flickering in his mind.
"My ability…" Xuan took two steps back and raised his right hand, making a gentle swipe through the air.
An oval-shaped rift in space appeared, expanding as Xuan willed it.
"My ability is teleportation. This rift connects to another world."
"Wha—?" Li Zhiguo instinctively took a step back, but as he recalled Xuan's status, he gradually calmed down.
While the idea of a teleportation portal seemed fantastical, given the Xia emperor's identity, it didn't seem entirely impossible. After all, for thousands of years, the Xia emperors had brought countless miracles to the world.
"Your Majesty, what do you need me to do?" Li Zhiguo asked, his gaze intense.
"I need you to gather the strength of the entire Eastern Xia Kingdom to develop this other world."
"Yes!"
A day later, Eastern Xia remained as peaceful as ever, but for those in the know, an undercurrent of tension was suddenly stirring.
The Ministry of Finance felt this shift most acutely, as military units across various districts were frequently mobilized, and military spending surged at an alarming rate. The ceremonial guards stationed at the palace even witnessed generals, members of parliament, and heads of major departments gathering at the imperial capital.
The changes in Eastern Xia also raised alarms in countries around the world, prompting them to contact Eastern Xia for information while simultaneously ramping up their military preparations. The global situation became tense, even causing a temporary lull in the oil wars on the Southern Continent.
After all, aside from the Third World War, the First and Second World Wars had both been instigated by this nation. Now, with its sudden military mobilization, other countries had every reason to be on edge.
The Palace.
In the central hall, chairs were arranged for all the power players of Eastern Xia: members of parliament, military generals, and heads of major departments.
In fact, the will of everyone present represented the will of Eastern Xia itself!
As documents were distributed to everyone's tablets, the hall gradually filled with noise.
"Is this real?!"
"I can't believe it!"
"How could this happen?!"
As they reviewed the materials, the attendees began to accept that this was likely true.
"Has everyone finished reading?"
Once everyone had completed their review, Xuan stood up from the throne, and all eyes turned to him.
"This is the portal." Xuan raised his hand, creating a one-meter-high rift in space.
Wow!
Everyone jumped to their feet, mirroring Li Zhiguo's earlier reaction, staring in shock at the portal.
Despite having seen various materials and videos, witnessing the portal's emergence left them profoundly shaken.
"It's real!"
"Your Majesty, how long can the portal last?"
"Your Majesty, can the portal be expanded further?"
A flood of questions bombarded him, and the hall erupted into chaos.
"Silence!" Xuan raised his hand, signaling for calm.
The crowd quieted down, but their gazes toward Xuan were fervent, their excitement palpable, as if they had just consumed a stimulant.
The materials indicated that this new world had an ecological environment 99% similar to Yunxing, and air quality tests had shown it to be harmless to humans. The gravity and other environmental factors were also nearly identical to those of Yunxing.
In an era where space exploration had stagnated, a new world had suddenly appeared before them!
Once the crowd settled, Xuan continued, "If you have questions, please ask one at a time; otherwise, I won't be able to answer."
"Your Majesty, how long can the portal last?" General Li Anguo of the First Military District was the first to raise his hand.
"As long as I don't cancel it, it should remain open. Next."
"Your Majesty, the materials state that the portal can reach a maximum height of 3 meters and a width of 2 meters. Can it be expanded further?"
"It can be expanded, but I sense it will be very slow—about one meter every ten days."
"Your Majesty, can multiple portals be opened?"
"No, only one can be opened."
After a heated discussion, the group calmed down, but their excitement remained.
At that moment, Li Zhiguo stepped forward, speaking passionately, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is a turning point for our Eastern Xia Kingdom—no, it's a turning point for the world! The revival of Eastern Xia begins here!"
"Although this isn't the parliamentary hall, I have a proposal."
With that, he sent the Other World Development Plan to everyone's tablets.
The plan consisted of two main points, but after reviewing it, the room fell silent. The required investment was staggering.
The nation needed to allocate a budget of ten trillion Xia dollars for the plan.
Ten trillion?! What does that even mean?
Last year, Eastern Xia's GDP was only five trillion!
The Western Alliance had spent ten years on the oil wars, and the resources consumed amounted to only three trillion Xia dollars. Ten trillion could fund a world war!
"Seconded."
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
In the end, the vote passed unanimously. Everyone knew the plan was incredibly ambitious, but the potential rewards drove them to madness.
Politics can be very simple or extremely complex. At its core, politics is about fighting for one's own interests. When one gains rights, others inevitably lose some. The reason for the constant scheming in politics is that everyone wants a larger share, leading to endless plots and intrigues.
Yet, politics can also be straightforward. If you strip away the layers of conspiracy and intrigue, you'll find that the essence of politics is simply about interests—those of the majority.
Now, there was a massive cake big enough for all classes to feast on, even to the point of excess. Instead of wasting time on scheming, it was better to consider how to consume this cake.
This cake, named the Otherworld, won't mind if you eat too much; it fears you won't eat enough.
History has proven that the Xia emperors are adept at creating miracles, or perhaps they themselves are miracles. Generations of great Xia emperors have led the Xia civilization forward, nearly unifying the world. Now, they believed that this time, the Xia emperor could similarly guide them to continue progressing and accomplish what their ancestors could not: a world united!
"I also have a proposal. I suggest that the First Military District be responsible for this exploration mission," General Li Anguo raised his hand to say.